The Coronavirus (Wuhan virus) outbreak.
How worried should the world be?
(CycleChat: 23 Jan 2020 - Pete well ahead of the curve, and not a Cassandra)
Noooo. Why would they leave Kona ?
Because pandemic and surge in cases on Kona / in Hawaii, first in Oct 21, then in the late autumn running up to the postponed date in Feb 22. However, Kona not left.
Since then, of course, IM ran two 'WC' races (all women plus some AG men Thu, and Men Sat) in Kona in Oct 22. Almost double the normal number of athletes (so many qualified since Feb 20).
But after their experience in Oct 22, Kona refused a two day schedule in 2023. IM were intent on keeping the men and women on separate days thus allowing far more athletes, particularly women, to race in their 'World Championships. Massive commercial benefit and also allowing the women their own race was an aspiration realised in 2022 and one they weren't prepared to lose.
Kona cannot (won't) allow two races (which have to be 2 days apart because T1 and T2 are colocated): having the town closed down on a weekday unacceptably impacted the community. And besides the town and its neighbours can't cope with double the number of athletes and 'supporters' (accommodation, feeding, flights, cyclists in the road
).
So IM announced (Jan 23) the WC would be in Nice for the Men in 2023 and the women's race would be in Kona; and then in 2024, swap the venues over (and repeat, 25 and 26 as 23 and 24).
For amateur women 'qualifying for the IMWC' in 2023 is much easier (more than twice the number of start slots than in 2019), in fact it's likely they will not fill the available pier capacity (imho) without easing qualification criteria even further. Same for the men, not because there isn't competition for IMWC start slots but because athletes will choose not to race in Nice (Promenade des Anglais) in September 'because it's not Kona' and Americans will be unwilling to travel to a forin place.
A 'world championship' should not stay in one place (location, continent/ocean and environment (hot/humid)): it's unfair in various ways so using Nice (with it's long triathlon history) is a step in the right direction. The downside is that the men's and women's races are split with as yet unknown/unexpected effects. Pretty sure Nice would accept a IMWC with two races two days apart. St George was the venue last May, men and women all racing on one day. They could run two races there on consecutive days, as T1 (Sand Hollow) and T2 (in the town) are separated. But not on a Sunday, because . . . Utah.
